More Horse Drugs Embarrassment for Dubai Ruler

Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum is facing a fresh scandal at his equestrian operations after an illegal shipment of unlicensed veterinary drugs was seized from a Dubai government-owned jet at a U.K. airport.

Reuters

Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya at the Dubai World Cup

Sheikh Mohammed has appointed his wife Princess Haya to launch an investigation into the incident, which took place at Stansted airport in May, according to a spokesman for the princess. Princess Haya is currently the president of International Federation for Equestrian Sports, or FEI, and has helped lead the FEI CleanSport initiative dedicated to stamping out doping.

The investigation comes just months after the British Horseracing Authority, or BHA, banned Mahmood Al Zarooni, a trainer at Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin stables, for doping horses. The Al Zarooni ban was the biggest scandal to hit U.K. horseracing in recent years as the Dubai ruler is one of the biggest investors in the sport.

In August, the U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or Defra, also seized veterinary products at Moorley Farm East, part of the Sheikh Mohammed-owned Darley stud in Newmarket, because the drugs were not authorised in the U.K.

“[Sheikh Mohammed] recognizes that the family reputation is at stake,” said a spokesman for Princess Haya. “I can assure you that Sheikh Mohammed was not aware of any such products in the cargo of any Dubai Royal Air Wing flight into Stansted on the day of the seizure.”

The U.K. Border Force said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal on September 11 that the drugs were labelled “horse tack” at the point they were confiscated and included vaccines, sedatives and antibiotics. The seizure weighed approximately 100 kilograms and the jet flew from Dubai, according to a Border Force spokesman.

The seizure did not contain anabolic steroids, according to some U.K. press reports, but did include Tildren injections, a substance that is used by vets for horses with bone problems.

Princess Haya’s first action in the investigation, which was made on September 12 according to her spokesperson, was to issue a directive to the managers of all of the major components of Sheikh Mohammed’s equestrian operations — Darley stud, Godolphin, Meydan and Janah, the equine flight company. This directive included the following instructions:

• All personnel employed by HH Sheikh Mohammed, or any entities with which he is associated, need to be fully licensed under the jurisdiction in which they are operating. Particular reference needs to be made to veterinarians and farriers.

• It is equally important to understand that it is the manager’s sole responsibility to ensure that all non-licensed personnel are removed from licensed premises and are unable to come in contact with any of HH Sheikh Mohammed’s horses at any time.

• I wish for all managers to accept the responsibilities that their position bestows on them and to ensure that all efforts are made to protect the good name of the Maktoum family at all times.

Princess Haya also announced plans to establish a centralised auditing office for Sheikh Mohammed’s equestrian operations to receive all invoices for any purchase of veterinary products. Meanwhile, the investigation into the seizure at Stansted airport is ongoing.

“Princess Haya is also seeking answers as to exactly what happened so that nothing of the sort will happen again,” her spokesperson said.

Defra is also continuing to conduct an investigation into the seizures at Stansted and Moorley farm, a Defra spokesman added.